Which supplements does Google allow?
Google doesn't publish a list of allowed supplements. It publishes what it prohibits, and everything else is reviewed ad by ad. Google prohibits, regardless of any claims of legality [1]:
Generally allowed
- Vitamins, minerals, protein, greens, collagen and similar products without disease claims
- Melatonin, where local law allows (Google lifted its ban outside the US and Canada in June 2025)
- DHEA, in campaigns targeting the US only
Needs certification or is restricted
- FDA-approved pharmaceutical CBD (Google CBD certification)
- Topical, non-pharmaceutical CBD in California, Colorado and Puerto Rico (LegitScript plus Google certification)
- Anything sold as a prescription drug (pharmacy or telemedicine certification)
Prohibited on Google Ads
- Products on Google's unapproved pharmaceuticals and supplements list, and names confusingly similar to them
- Ephedra, and hCG for weight loss or with anabolic steroids
- Supplements with active pharmaceutical or dangerous ingredients
- Products implied to be as effective as prescription drugs
- Products under a government or regulatory action or warning
The example list itself is mostly weight-loss and bodybuilding products: ephedra-style slimming pills, prohormones and "kits" sold to cure a disease [2]. If your product contains an ingredient with a drug-like effect, check the list and LegitScript before you spend, because Google's policy points to LegitScript for more detail [1].
Which claims get supplement ads disapproved?
| Claim type | Google's rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Treats, cures or prevents a disease | Prohibited for products without government approval | [1] |
| Works like a prescription drug | Prohibited | [1] |
| Miracle cure or cure-all | Prohibited (Google's examples: arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer) | [4] |
| Weight loss in a set time or with little effort | Prohibited (Google's example: lose 10 pounds in a month) | [4] |
| Testimonials with specific results | Need a visible "results can vary" disclaimer | [4] |
| Guaranteed results | Need a clear, easy-to-find refund policy | [4] |
| Before-and-after body images | Prohibited when they promote significant body changes | [5] |
| Subscriptions and free trials | Must show the recurring price, billing interval and when charges start | [6] |
Copy to avoid
Cures joint pain naturally
Glucosamine and chondroitin, 60 capsules
Lose 15 lbs in 30 days
A fiber blend to take before meals
As strong as a prescription sleep aid
Melatonin 3 mg, 90 tablets
Boosts immunity against colds and flu
Vitamin C 1,000 mg with zinc
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This page covers Google's ad policies only. In the US, supplement labels and claims are also regulated by the FDA and FTC; have counsel review your claims.
Does a supplement count as a health ad for targeting?
Sometimes. Google treats health as a sensitive interest category when the content is about physical or mental health conditions, treatments for chronic conditions (including over-the-counter products), or intimate body functions such as urinary or bowel health [7]. Ads in that category can't use advertiser-curated audiences: Customer Match, your data segments, lookalike segments, audience expansion, in-market or affinity audiences. Only predefined Google audiences are allowed [7].
Reading Google's examples, a daily multivitamin promoted for general wellness usually stays outside that category. A probiotic promoted for IBS, or a supplement promoted for blood sugar, is in it. If your products are in it, plan for Search, Shopping and contextual placements to do the work, because Google also notes that Demand Gen campaigns may be restricted from serving [7].
How should a supplement brand set up Shopping and campaigns?
- 01Clean the feed first
Merchant Center applies the same unapproved-substance rules as Google Ads, plus substances with a similar chemical composition [8]. Remove products that won't pass before you submit the feed, so disapprovals don't pile up in the account.
- 02Write factual product titles
Lead with the form, the main ingredient, the dose and the count. Keep promotional text out of titles [9].
- 03Match the product page to the ad
Google expects ads and destinations to follow its rules [1]. A clean ad sending traffic to a page with disease claims gets disapproved.
- 04Separate campaigns by policy risk
Keep general wellness products and condition-adjacent products in different campaigns, so targeting limits on one don't hold back the other.
- 05Launch branded Search and Shopping first
Then add non-brand Search and, for products outside the sensitive category, Demand Gen. Our DTC guide covers the order.
How RunAds handles this
RunAds won't help anyone get around Google's policies, and it can't promise that an ad or account will be approved. What it does is help you find problems before you submit anything. Site Audit reads your site and gives a verdict for each ad platform, including Google: ready, creative limits, or needs certification. For a supplement store it flags disease claims, ingredients that need a closer look, and pages a reviewer will read.
When Mission Control writes ads, its copy check rejects lines with health-claim words (cure, treatment, relief, detox, clinically and similar), clickbait phrasing and before-and-after language. Nothing goes live until you approve the launch card, so you see every headline before Google does. Pricing starts at 500 free credits; see the pricing section and the full feature list.
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